Tidbits of the Rogue Valley Vol 2 Issue 11

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March 16, 2016

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Volume 2 Issue 11

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TIDBITS® INVESTIGATES SOME OF

HISTORY’S MYSTERIES

by Kathy Wolfe

The unexplained…the unresolved… the unanswered. This week, Tidbits investigates some baffling happenings whose endings haven’t yet been written.

• On June 1, 1937, aviatrix Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan departed Miami on a 29,000 mile (46,671 km) journey, attempting to circumnavigate the globe. Their last contact was on July 2 from the vicinity of Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean, just 7,000 miles (11,265 km) from completing their goal.

Earhart stated in her last radio transmission that the plane was low on gas. Within an hour of that contact, searches had begun, including 60 planes launched from an aircraft carrier that stayed in the area until July 18. The plane had disappeared without a single trace. The official version of her disappearance is that she crashed and sank in the 18,000-foot-deep (5,486 m) ocean. Another version claimed that the plane went down in the Marshall Islands and the pair were picked up by the Japanese, imprisoned in Saipan, and executed there. Yet another theory states that they remained castaways and lived out their lives on a Pacific island. Scores of searches have been launched over the years, including the most recent in June, 2015, when a 14-member team scoured the uninhabited South Pacific island of Nikumaroro with no results.

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HISTORY’S MYSTERIES (continued):

• In November of 1971, Dan Cooper, having paid $18.52 for a ticket, boarded a Boeing 727 on Northwest Airlines Flight 305 in Portland, Oregon, along with 36 others, bound for Seattle.

(A press communication later mislabeled the man as “D.B. Cooper.”) Shortly into the flight, Cooper passed a note to the flight attendant, advising her that his briefcase contained a bomb.

Thinking he was giving her his phone number, she stuck the unopened note into her pocket.

Her indifference caused Cooper to speak to her, “Miss, you’d better look at that note. I have a bomb.” The note listed a demand for $200,000 in unmarked $20 bills and four parachutes. He received his cash and parachutes when the plane landed in Seattle, he set the passengers free, and commanded the pilot to fly him to Mexico, flying “low and slow” and leaving the back door unlocked. Five Air Force fighter planes tailed the jet, but not a soul witnessed Cooper’s jump into the rainy night somewhere between Seattle and Reno, Nevada. And D.B. Cooper has never been seen again. Nine years later, a family vacation led to the discovery of some of D.B. Cooper’s ransom money. An eight-year-old boy was looking for firewood near the border between Washington and Oregon discovered $5,800 in decaying $20 bills along the banks of the Columbia River. The serial numbers confirmed it was the hijacker’s money. No other money has ever been found, and considering the rugged wilderness, the FBI has always maintained that Cooper could not have survived his caper.

Caring for a Handicapped Pet DEAR PAW’S CORNER: We have two dogs that we adopted from shelters: “Kylie,” a beautiful greyhound who is missing one front leg, and “Zu-zu,” a toy poodle, who is about age 16 and is almost completely blind.

I’m writing to let readers know that caring for pets with physical challenges can be expensive and challenging. They need to know what they’re in for before adopting a challenged dog.

We wouldn’t trade our two “kids” for the world.

Kylie is quiet and very determined even though walking can be tough for her. Zu-zu is yappy and can get anxious when she’s home alone, but is loyal and loving.

Both have additional physical issues that require more trips to the vet, extra medicines, even special equipment. Their care can run over a thousand dollars a year, easily. We have pet insurance that covers their basic care and some of their medication, which helps quite a bit.

Please let your readers know to be aware of the challenge they take on when they adopt dogs with illnesses or handicaps. -- Karen H., Conway, New Hampshire DEAR KAREN: You told them, and I thank you!

Caring for challenged dogs can be incredibly rewarding, but also difficult. They can have both physical and emotional issues, particularly if they’ve experienced past trauma, neglect or abuse.

Before adopting a pet, ask plenty of questions of both shelter supervisors about a pet’s known past, its behaviors and what its treatment may cost. Talk to a vet ahead of time about the care and commitment that may be required. When you’re prepared to care for a challenged pet, you’ll be able to create a supportive home for them.

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ARIES (March 21 to April 19) The week promises a calmer aspect. Although there might be some lingering effects of a recent job problem, things should continue to ease up. Also expect a change in a home-based situation.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) If you feel uneasy about a colleague’s suggestion, it might be that your wise inner Taurean guide is alerting you to a potential problem. Stepping away could turn out to be the right thing to do.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A family gettogether opens up new opportunities for renewing ties. It can be especially effective in dealing with disagreements that should have been, but never were, fully resolved.

CANCER ( June 21 to July 22) You might be surprised at the response you get to a recent decision.

You might be even more surprised by the reasons behind it. In any event, you’ll learn something important.

LEO ( July 23 to August 22) Your aspects favor resolving any tensions left over from a recent incident. You might want to consider having a “clear the air” talk as soon as you can. A call can lead to a change of plans.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Avoid repeating yourself. If your first few efforts fail to connect, maybe it’s because you haven’t found the right way to get your message across. Try changing your approach.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Good intentions plus a strong resolve to succeed can take you where you want to go. Don’t give up just because someone suggests you might be pursuing an impossible cause.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) An unexpected setback can be a blessing in disguise. Use it to recheck your facts and how you’ve presented them. Meanwhile, look for ways to expand your contacts.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You should finally be seeing a positive change in a recent personal situation. However, an on-the-job matter might need more attention than you realized. Stay with it.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) While you should be close to completing an important matter, you still need to focus on being focused. But things ease up in time for weekend fun with family and friends.

AQUARIUS ( January 20 to February 18) A certain matter might take an unexpected turn. Don’t simply accept it; ask for an explanation. What you learn might be helpful in shifting the situation around to your benefit.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Projecting a positive attitude helps restore calm even when you’re confronting some pretty stormy situations.

Stay the course. The outcome will be well worth your efforts.

BORN THIS WEEK: While you enjoy tradition and stability, you also appreciate the good things that change can bring.

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1. MEASUREMENTS: How fast do you have to travel to break the sound barrier?

2. FOOD & DRINK: What food is also known as a groundnut?

3. MOVIES: What film ended with the words “the horror ... the horror”?

4. QUOTATIONS: What 20th-century actor once said, “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway”?

5. MEDICAL: What is the medical symptom called dyspnea?

6. SCIENCE: What is the study of blood called?

7. GEOGRAPHY: What is the predominant language of Australia?

8. TELEVISION: Who was Sonny Crockett’s partner in “Miami Vice”?

9. U.S. STATES: How many U.S. states border Mexico?

10. LANGUAGE: What is the longest English word composed only of vowels?

1. Who was the last Padres starting pitcher before James Shields in 2015 to win his first seven decisions of a season?

2. During the 1970s, two N.L. players had a season of at least 30 home runs and at least 30 errors. Name either one.

3. Who holds the Big Ten record for most passing touchdowns in a season?

4. When was the last time the Washington Wizards franchise won at least 50 games in a season?

5. Ben Bishop set a record in the 2015-16 NHL season for most career wins by a Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender. Who had held the mark?

6. Who was the first American male skier to win an Olympic downhill gold medal?

7. In 2015, Inbee Park became the seventh female golfer to win four different majors. Name four of the first six.

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Take Time for Tea

HISTORY’S MYSTERIES (continued):

• In 1587, Englishman John White led 120 colonists to establish a settlement on Roanoke Island, North Carolina. Just a few weeks later, his daughter gave birth to the first English child born in the New World. Shortly afterward, a shortage of supplies sent White back to England. His return to North Carolina was drastically delayed for three years by a naval war with Spain. When White finally landed on Roanoke in 1590, the settlers had vanished without a trace. The buildings had collapsed and houses were dismantled. The only clue left to their whereabouts was the word “Croatoan” carved on a fence post and “CRO” on a tree. Some believe this referred to Croatoan Island (Hatteras Island today), 50 miles (80 km) south. It was also the name of a small group of Native Americans in the area. Searches turned up no survivors, but it may well be that the settlers sought help from the tribes and were gradually assimilated.

A 1709 publication quoted Croatans who claimed to have white ancestors, and early colonists reported encounters with gray-eyed Native Americans.

• Experts have long debated whether the Lost City of Atlantis was real or fictional. Described in Plato’s dialogues written about 330 B.C., Plato described it as a powerful and advanced kingdom that fell from the gods’ favor and sank into the ocean around 9600 B.C. “in a single day and night of misfortune.”

Supposedly, the kingdom was on an island larger than “Libya and Asia Minor put together,” located in the Atlantic just beyond the Pillars of Hercules, which is believed to be the Strait of Gibraltar. The location has been linked with the Greek island of Santorini, which was destroyed by a volcano around 1600 B.C. The philosopher Aristotle joked about “Plato’s ability to conjure nations out of thin air and then destroy them,” but the legend of the long-lost utopia still fascinates today. No trace of the city has ever been found.

When you think of “tea time,” the image of sipping a relaxing cup of tea with friends may come to mind, but when those words bounce off the walls in my house, the teapot isn’t whistling.

Instead, my husband and sons are racing out the door to make their “tee time” at the golf course.

When my Irish-born friend Margaret moved to the States more than 10 years ago, she couldn’t help but notice our always-on-the-go, hectic and harried lifestyle. She was determined to show Americans that it is possible to pause and enjoy friendship like the Irish tend to do. So she not only makes a daily event of tea time for herself, but she also shares the tradition with her children and friends.

Why not make a family resolution to slow down and enjoy simple moments together, like tea time?

As Margaret observes, “By the time everyone sips some tea, slathers scones with jam and butter, sips and then pours more tea, can you imagine the wonderful, one-on-one discussions a person can have with children, family and friends?”

Here are some ideas to get started: Kids can help by setting the “tea tray,” a necessary component for tea time. You’ll need a sugar bowl, pitcher for milk and a small plate with sliced lemons. Cover the coffee table or dining-room table with a white lace cloth. (She collects hers at tag sales.) Then place cups, saucers, spoons and napkins around the table. Each person can be given a dessert plate and butter knife used to cut scones or cake into pieces or for spreading butter and cream.

When it’s time to sit down, let the children be responsible for passing the milk, sugar, cake or scones.

How to brew a proper pot of tea: 1. Boil a kettle of water.

2. Pour 1 inch of hot water into a china or silver teapot. Swirl to warm, and then pour it out.

3. Into the pot, measure 1 teaspoon of tea per person and 1 extra teaspoon for the pot.

4. Add rapidly boiling water to the pot and steep for five minutes.

5. Strain tea into teacups.

6. Dispose of used tea leaves in compost pile or scatter them around your growing roses.

Serve with whole milk if you wish. It gives tea a nice color and rounds out the flavor. Children tend to prefer it that way.

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Preparing Your Home For Sale PART II elegant feeling that potential buyers will notice. Make sure your improvements stay within the norm for your neighborhood. If you live in a neighborhood where $100/sq. ft. carpeting is in every home, don’t install $35/sq. ft. carpeting.

Once the cosmetics are completed, tackle the clutter. Pack up everything you don’t absolutely need. One half of everything in each closet should be removed to make the closets look bigger. Furniture that is nonessential can be put into storage to make rooms look larger. Clean out the garage, basement and attic, and store off-season items at another location. You want your home to appear large and airy, neat and orderly. Remember, potential buyers will be looking in drawers, cabinets and closets, so put your best foot forward by being prepared.

Again, let the experts guide you when making improvements. Since you’ll only get one chance to make a good first impression, take the time and effort to dress up your home before putting it up for sale.

Rogue Valley Real Estate Once you decide to sell your home, you’ll need to prepare it for viewing. You may think your home is in top condition, but there are ways to make potential buyers drool over your property. And since you want top dollar, a little sprucing up could go a long way. A good rule of thumb to remember for the exterior is: fix what is broken and clean what is not. Home buyers list dirt as the biggest turnoff.

All of these ideas will make your home more marketable, but don’t go overboard and think you have to remodel your home. Experts say you won’t get a dollar for dollar return on your investment.

Spending money on hidden areas, such as new wiring or a new furnace, won’t impress buyers. Fix potential hidden area problems, but don’t replace them. Plan wisely and put your dollars where they’ll work the hardest.

Small interior renovations can make a big difference. Replace outdated lighting fixtures with modern ones. Install updated plumbing fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen. If the kitchen really needs work, a small investment of say $10,000 will bring a better return than a totally new $50,000 renovation. Replace worn or stained carpets, especially in the major living areas. Pick a neutral color that shows well.

It may also show dirt easily, but your main concern is thatt it will bring a luxurious and

To Your Good Health

By Keith Roach, M.D.

High Blood Pressure Can Lead to Stroke DEAR DR. ROACH: Can high blood pressure cause blood clots, blindness and strokes? Or is this caused by taking the wrong combination of blood pressure medicines? -- Anon.

ANSWER: High blood pressure over months or years causes damage to the lining of blood vessels.

This can indeed predispose a person to a stroke.

Reducing blood pressure gradually reduces risk of stroke.

Blood clots also can cause strokes, but these usually are not linked to blood pressure, high or low, and instead are linked to conditions that affect the blood

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itself or that affect the rhythm of the heart. Some medicines, such as estrogen, make blood clots more likely.

In people with very high blood pressure, lowering it too much, too quickly can cause strokes. The blood pressure needs to be reduced gradually, which usually can be done as an outpatient. There are still a few times when people with extremely high blood pressure are admitted to the hospital, where blood pressure can be brought down very slowly in a controlled environment.

High blood pressure is one of the most common ailments for the general population. The booklet on it describes what it does and how it’s treated. Readers can order a copy by writing: Dr. Roach -- No. 104W, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address.

Please allow four weeks for delivery. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: In March 2013, I fell and landed on my left side. Since then, I have had quite a lot of pain. I had an MRI that showed I have a tear of the gluteus medius muscle. I was advised to have a surgical repair done as an outpatient. My family doctor wants me to wait and talk to another surgeon.

My pain is aggravated by pressure and weight-bearing

HISTORY’S MYSTERIES (continued): • UFO or government cover-up? In the summer of 1947, 75 miles (121 km) from Roswell, New Mexico, a sheep rancher discovered some unusual debris in his pasture – metal sticks, chunks of plastic, foil reflectors, and heavy paper-like material. It wasn’t long after the rancher contacted the authorities that soldiers invaded his property and quickly scooped the pieces into armored trucks. While the U.S. military assured the public that it was a crashed weather balloon, the pieces didn’t resemble that at all. Many insisted that the debris was a crashed extraterrestrial spacecraft, complete with alien passengers. The UFO supporters claimed that the craft and its occupants had been captured and covered up by the military. Fifty years later, the military issued a report declaring that the mysterious wreckage was part of a top-secret atomic espionage project called Project Mogul.

The report stated that the fragments really were a weather balloon, but one whose real purpose was to carry classified information. Yet there are still those who subscribe to the UFO theory, as demonstrated by the hundreds of thousands of annual visitors to the Roswell site.

• In November of 1872 the ship Mary Celeste left New York harbor with Captain Briggs, his wife, daughter, and eight crew members, with a destination of Italy. A month later, the ship was discovered floating in the Atlantic with no one aboard. The captain’s log and the life boat were missing; otherwise, the undamaged ship was intact. None of the travelers were ever seen again.

The ship had been renamed after numerous other mishaps had befallen the craft, including three captains dying aboard the ship and the breakout of supposedly accidental fires.

activities. What is your suggestion? I’m 77 and in pretty good health, and I walk my dogs several times per day. -- M.C. ANSWER: Gluteus medius tears are an increasingly recognized cause of hip pain. The gluteus medius muscle helps hold the hip in place during walking.

They often are treated conservatively, with injection and physical therapy. They can be mistaken for trochanteric bursitis, but persistence of pain despite treatment should make the physician consider alternate diagnoses, and an MRI usually makes the diagnosis.

In your case, you have been suffering for two years, and I agree that it’s time to consider surgical repair.

However, I also have to agree with your family doctor that a second opinion may be wise. There are several new surgical techniques, and you want an experienced surgeon operating on you. Talking to a second surgeon at the very least can make you more confident that the surgery is necessary.

Postoperative recovery may require six weeks of crutches or other assistive device, and another six weeks in a hip brace, although the exact recovery depends on you and the type of surgery performed.

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* It was British art critic and social reformer John Ruskin who made the following sage observation: “Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”

UNUSUAL ANIMALS: BATS Tidbits has bats in the belfry! We’re taking the time this week to examine this large group of nocturnal mammals.

• There are more than 1,200 species of bats, and they comprise nearly a quarter of all mammal species on earth. More than half of all bats in the U.S. are either endangered or their population is declining.

• Although to many, bats seem scary and creepy, they are vital to the ecosystem in controlling pests and participating in pollination. Seventy percent of bats consume insects, contributing to a large part of natural pest control. One brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes in one hour!

Nearly 30% of the other species have a diet of various fruits. A very small percentage dine on fish, mice, and frogs.

• There are only three species of what we call vampire bats, those that feed on the blood of animals, and all of those are native only to Latin America. Many of us fear these blood drinkers, but they can be very beneficial to humans. Their saliva contains an enzyme that dissolves blood clots, which can be used to treat stroke victims.

An Animal Planet poll revealed that vampire bats are the third-most feared animal in the world.

Wolves and gorillas are the only ones ahead.

• The bumblebee bat, native to Thailand, is the world’s smallest mammal, only about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) long, and weighing less than a penny.

The largest bat is the Giant Golden Crowned Flying Fox that lives on islands in the South Pacific. This species weighs about 3 lbs. (1.3 kg) and has a wingspan of up to 6 feet (1.8 m).

* After the events of this past winter, you may not be surprised to learn that sales of cakes, cookies and candy spike when a blizzard is in the weather forecast. * You’ve almost certainly heard of “M*A*S*H,” one of the most popular TV series of all time. One of the main characters on the show, which ran from 1972 to 1983, was Corporal Klinger, played by Jamie Farr.

Move and Live Longer Another study of seniors ages 50-79 has concluded that we can live longer if we’re more active. This one comes with some fancy credentials: It was run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The difference between this study and previous ones that showed that activity makes us live longer is that this study was monitored.

Other studies used self-reported information about the level of activity. This time researchers used activity monitors worn on the body, so the information was certain to be correct. They then tracked those people for eight years.

They learned that moving doesn’t have to involve weights and sweating at the gym. Easy activity -- even making the bed, mopping the floor and walking around the neighborhood -all count as activity that can help us live longer.

Here’s the bottom line:

Upgrades to Crisis and Suicide Hotline

The Veterans Crisis Line is forming a closer bond with the suicide prevention office and mental health services, indicating that the Department of Veterans Affairs is taking seriously its role in reducing veteran suicides.

Among the changes: * Veterans will have their calls answered promptly by someone who is experienced.

Calls pertaining to non-crisis matters will be diverted to other VA resources, freeing up the crisis responders. * Eighty-eight more staffers are being hired, on top of the 300 already at the crisis line. * Improvements to the phone systems to handle increased demand.

As an indication of how much the upgrades are needed, the crisis line sent emergency responders to intervene with veterans in crisis

Page 5

It’s interesting to note that in the 1950s, Farr actually served as an enlisted man in the U.S. Army in Korea -- and the dog tags he wore on the show were the same ones he wore during his service. * For reasons that are not quite clear, inventors have created a robot that can solve a Rubik’s cube in slightly more than one second. * In 18th-century France, there was a Parisian printer who employed several apprentices, all of whom lived in the home of the printer’s family. The printer’s wife was, evidently, a lover of cats -- and her cats begged for scraps and screeched at all hours of the night. Finally fed up with the felines, the apprentices took matters into their own hands: While the family was out of town, they held a formal trial, complete with guards, a confessor and a public executioner. After they were pronounced guilty, the accused felines were strung up on cat-sized gallows.

If we’re fairly active, if we get up and move around for 30 minutes, we’ll live longer.

This can be either light or moderate physical activity. Sweaty workouts are not required, but moderate-to-vigorous activity is especially beneficial.

If we get an average amount of activity and only move around for 10 minutes a day, we can improve our risk of mortality by onethird. (But, once we’re up and moving, why stop at 10 minutes? Wash one more window or walk one more wing of the mall during senior walking mornings, and we’ve just lowered our mortality risk.)

If we’re not at all active, if we let ourselves be extremely sedentary, we’re five times more likely to die.

So our new mantra might be: Move, live longer -- gym membership not required.

Consider what the result could be if we sign up for dance or swimming classes, take yoga or qigong, or volunteer to do a neighbor’s shopping once a week.

11,000 times last year. Do the math: That’s over 30 veterans per day. With the online chat and phone text functions, crisis staffers talked to 300,000 veterans last year.

But they can’t do it alone. If you know a veteran who might be in crisis, either now or in the future, become familiar with the information at www. veteranscrisisline.net. You’ll find information on the warning signs of suicide, suicide and crisis resources, and ways you can help. Make your first stop on “The Signs of Crisis” and click on “Identifying.” The best first way to help a veteran who might be suicidal or in crisis is to learn all you can.

If you’re a veteran and you need help, call 1-800273-8255 and Press 1 or send a text message to 838255. Or go to the web link above and join a chat group. If you’re not sure whether you’re at risk, take the self-check quiz.

There also is support for homeless veterans, and if you’re deaf or hard of hearing. These confidential support services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

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Shirley Temple Mug Q: I purchased a Shirley Temple cobalt mug in a shop for $20. When I got it home it looked too new to be from the 1930s, so I took it back and was refused a refund. -- Don, Salt Lake City, Utah A: The market is flooded with fake Shirley Temple mugs, so buyers have to do their homework and educate themselves about reproductions and fakes. One tip-off concerning your transaction was the price. Most Shirley Temple mugs, authentic ones, sell in the $35-$50 range. Twenty

dollars was a little too good to be true. When making a purchase, ask the dealer if a refund is possible if you decide you are unhappy with the merchandise.

If he or she says no, walk away. *** Q: I have two framed prints, one identified as being a drawing of Richard Owen, 1804-1892, and the other Sir William Crookes, 1832-1919. Both are signed “Spy.” What are these prints, and are they worth anything? -- Connie, Mesa, Arizona A: Leslie Matthew Ward was a Victorian-era British portrait and caricaturist who signed his work “Spy.” He drew 1,325 cartoons for Vanity Fair magazine between 1873 and 1911. His autobiography, “Forty Years of Spy,” was published in 1915.

His work is, indeed, collectible. Typical prices are caricatures of Thomas Carlyle, $75; Horace Greeley, $75; Mark Twain, $300; and George Bernard Shaw, $150. Some of his more obscure personalities

generally sell in the $35-$50 range.

One of the better collections of “Spy” prints is at the Philadelphia Print Shop Ltd., 8441 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118; and philaprint@ philaprintshop.com. To check inventory and current prices, visit www.philaprintshop.com/ vanfair.html. *** Q: I purchased a Victor Victrola at an auction that requires steel needles. My problem is that I can’t find any in my area. Can you help me? -- Hubert, Sun City West, Arizona A: The Needle Doctor has a cure for your problem with one of the largest inventories of needles and styluses in the country for both wind-up machines and phonographs of a more recent vintage. His steel needles come in packets of 25 for $6 plus postage. Contact is Brian at 6006 Excelsior Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416; info@needledoctor. com; and 800-229-0644.

BATS (continued):

• Many people associate bats with rabies, but in the U.S., an average of only two people die per year from rabies from a bat. Bats can also spread histoplasmosis, or “cave disease,” a fungus found in bat droppings. Those who breathe in the infected spores can experience chills, muscle and joint pain, chest discomfort, and a rash.

• Bat dung, called guano, is one of the richest fertilizers available, with high levels of phosphorus, potassium, and

nitrogen. During the U.S. Civil War, • While some mammals might glide, the bat is the only mammal capable of continued guano was used to make gunpowder. flight. The wing membranes make up • As nocturnal animals, bats sleep during about 95% of the bat’s body surface area. the day, hanging upside down from trees or from the roofs of caves, gripping with • Many bats have a long life span, including the brown bat that can live nearly 40 years. their sharp claws. On the hunt at night, they might fly 30 miles (48 km) to locate • A colony of bats usually varies in size food, which they can locate in total from 100 to 1,000 bats. The world’s darkness. They find insects by emitting largest known bat colony in the world is high-pitched sounds, 10 to 20 beeps per in Texas’ Bracken Bat Cave, where more second and listening for echoes. The bat than 20 million bats live. When groups has a very long tongue for feeding, which exit the cave, the mass is so large, it it wraps around its rib cage when not in resembles a gigantic storm on radar. use.

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WHODUNIT?

Some of history’s mysteries include crimes that were never solved. Tidbits checks out some unsolved mysteries that have not been explained.

• There’s been no sign of Teamsters’ Union president Jimmy Hoffa since July 30, 1975.

That’s the day he told his wife he was meeting two men (reportedly Mafia leaders) at Detroit’s Red Fox Restaurant for lunch.

Hoffa had been involved with organized crime for many years during his union work. He had been convicted of attempted bribery of a grand juror and fraud, and was sentenced to eight years, of which he served less than five. Shortly after his release from prison, he received a $1.7 million lump sum pension from the Teamsters. On the day of his disappearance, bystanders claim they saw Hoffa taken away in the back seat of a car.

The mobsters denied having any scheduled meeting with Hoffa. Although several individuals have claimed responsibility for Hoffa’s death, no human remains have ever been found and the case remains open. One theory is that his body was buried under New Jersey’s Meadowlands stadium. Another is that it is in a Michigan gravel pit. Most theories involve his body being encased in cement.

• Was Massachusetts Sunday School teacher Lizzie Borden really an ax murderer?

Although she was acquitted of the murders of her father and stepmother, since 1892, she has remained the prime suspect, and no one else was ever charged. A hatchet was discovered in the basement of the family home, but the handle was broken off and the blade was clean. Lizzie’s father was extremely wealthy (almost $10 million in today’s money) and was very unpopular, having made many enemies through shady business dealings.

However, Lizzie had frequently exhibited signs of mental instability and hostility toward her stepmother.

• Although Bruno Hauptmann was executed in 1936 for the kidnapping and murder of the son of aviator Charles Lindbergh, there are many who believed Hauptmann was framed

1. Andy Hawkins went 11-0 to start 1985.

2. Cincinnati’s Tony Perez (1970) and Atlanta’s Davey Johnson (1973).

3. Purdue’s Drew Brees, who had 39 TD passes in 1998.

4. It was the 1978-79 season, when Washington was 54-28.

5. Nikolai Khabibulin, with 83 victories.

6. Bill Johnson, in 1984.

7. Louise Suggs, Mickey Wright, Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Karrie Webb and Annika Sorenstam.

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for the crime. He denied all accusations and claimed he had been beaten by the police.

The 20-month-old child was taken from his bed in March of 1932 and a massive investigation was launched within less than an hour. A ransom note asking for $50,000 was found in the nursery, but after it was paid, the location given as to where the baby could be found proved false. Seventy-two days later, the body was found in the woods near the Lindbergh house. Money with serial numbers matching the ransom was found in the home of Hauptmann, who claimed he was keeping it for a friend, who had since died. He maintained his innocence to the end, and his final words included the statement, “I protest my innocence of the crime for which I was convicted.” Trial discrepancies and new evidence discovered in recent years have raised doubts about Hauptmann’s guilt.

• More than 125 years after five London women were murdered in a killing spree, Jack the Ripper remains a mystery. Over 100 suspects have been named as the possible serial killer, including a mentally disturbed surgeon, a barber, a butcher, a bootmaker, and a poet. In 1992, the diary of a Liverpool cotton merchant named James Maybrick was discovered, containing descriptions of the crime only the killer could have known.

However, the man who had uncovered the diary admitted to its forgery three years later.

Answers 1. About 770 mph 2. Peanut 3. “Apocalyse Now” 4. John Wayne 5. Shortness of breath 6. Hematology 7. English 8. Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs 9. Four: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas 10. Euouae, a musical cadence